Bob Bashara ponders lonely future, may write book

MITCH HOTTS

Published
12:00 am EDT, Sunday, June 3, 2012

While Bob Bashara waits to see if prosecutors will charge him for the strangulation of his wife, the Grosse Pointe Park property manager ponders his future and the prospect of someday writing a book about his experiences.

Bashara, who Grosse Pointe Park police have labeled a person of interest in the murder of Jane Bashara, said he's been ostracized from the life he once knew and feels he has been falsely portrayed by anonymous prosecutors and the media as an out-of-control playboy who got a sexual thrill from causing pain to women.

"The bottom line is I am a pacifist," he said. "I am not a violent person in any way and I could never be mean or evil-spirited. I'm a man who owns rental properties, and who cared for two women. But I loved my wife, Jane. Without her, I have nothing."

Jane Bashara, a Mount Clemens native who worked for a marketing firm, was married for 26 years to Bob Bashara and the couple have two grown children. The two were well known in the Grosse Pointe community, raising thousands of dollars for various school and charitable projects.

Her body was found Jan. 25 in the back of her SUV in an alley on Detroit's east side, about seven miles from her home where she had been reported missing by her husband the night before. An autopsy determined she had been strangled.

In the days and weeks after the discovery, lurid details of Bob Bashara's life began to surface. There were reports of an affair with another woman who said the two were preparing to launch a new life together, and an alternative lifestyle involving sex dungeons.

During a telephone interview with The Macomb Daily, Bashara was asked what his future holds if he is not charged. Although he may not want to, he may have to leave Grosse Pointe Park.

"I was happy. I had a very good life," he said while tending to one of his rental properties near 11 Mile and Jefferson in St. Clair Shores. "I would come home from my volunteer work with a sense of satisfaction and to my wife, who I loved dearly. Yes, I cared for two women. Does that mean I would leave Jane? Absolutely not."

The other woman, Rachel Gillett, has said in interviews that she and Bob had a lengthy relationship. She said he told her he was divorced and she believed him. The two traveled together and were seen out together in public. She said they planned to buy a new house and start a new life with another woman in an alternative lifestyle arrangement.

In recent weeks, however, Gillett has sought a personal protection order, saying she now is in fear of Bashara after he has repeatedly tried to contact her. He has apologized for that and says he will no longer try to communicate with her.

As for his role in the bondage and domination community where he was known as "Master Bob," Bashara said the public doesn't understand the lifestyle, adding he may someday write a book about his experiences. He declined to be too specific because of his children, but did talk in general terms.

"Most people don't understand the whole bondage and domination thing," he said. "Many couples could benefit by the principles. In this lifestyle, I met women who had been abused and befriended them, empowered them, to understand their needs of submission in a positive way. This isn't about rough sex; it's not about sex at all."

He pointed to the popularity of "50 Shades of Grey," the best-selling erotic novel with similar themes: A successful businessman with a loving family is enticed by another woman with her own dark desires, as evidence of the public's appetite for something wildly different.

"Ten years ago, there was no approval of gay marriage but now it's legal in eight states and the president of the United States is approving of it. That lifestyle has become more understood and accepted over the past 10 years. I think this lifestyle will eventually become more understood as well," he said. "This is not about men beating women for their satisfaction. I detest those people. This is not about S&M. Domination and submission, that's what it's about. It's about a mental mindset."

None of Bashara's private life would have ever made headlines if his wife hadn't been brutally beaten and killed.

Police have charged Joe Gentz with her death and conspiracy to commit murder.

A former Bashara handyman, Gentz reportedly confessed, telling police alternately that he was forced at gunpoint by Bob Bashara to kill the woman, while other times saying he was given cash and a used car for the murder. He remains in jail awaiting a June 11 hearing in 36th District Court in Detroit to determine whether he his mentally stable enough to understand the charges against him.

David Griem, Bashara's defense attorney, said he suspects the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is waiting for Gentz to be found competent and then strike a plea bargain deal with him to testify against Bashara.

If Bashara is charged at some point, Griem said he would question the timing.

"I think the prosecutor's office would then be in a position to have to explain what was the triggering event that caused them to seek a warrant against Mr. Bashara," Griem said. "What evidence would they have that was not present a day ago, a week ago, four months ago. It would be Joe Gentz being found competent."

Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, said Prosecutor Kym Worthy had no comment.

For his part, Bashara said he is "scared as hell" of being charged. He believes the prosecutor's office is "driving a smear campaign with no evidence" against him, waiting for him to crack.

"The reason I hold my head high even though I've lost everything is Jane. The bottom line is I wasn't there when she died and I so wish I had been home that night to protect her," he said.

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